The rain was the only fly in the ointment for our picnic.
fly in the ointment
idiomSomething (especially a minor thing) which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant; a nuisance or problem; a disagreeable or unpleasant detail.
Origin
disputed originA reference to Ecclesiastes 10:1 in the Bible (King James Version; spelling modernized): “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doeth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.”
The hotel was beautiful, but the noisy construction next door was a real fly in the ointment.
Everything about the merger seemed perfect, yet the sudden discovery of hidden debt proved to be a significant fly in the ointment.
- 01
fly blind
To do by guesswork; to feel one's way.
- 02
fly by
To pass or go past quickly, often without much interaction
- 03
fly by the seat of one's pants
To pilot an aircraft without the aid of instruments and without a flight plan, using only instinct, visual observation, and practical judgment.
- 04
fly in the face of
To act in a manner highly contrary to; to counteract or contradict.
- 05
fly low
To have one's fly (zipper) undone.
- 06
fly off
To flee rapidly; to run away.
- 07
fly off at a tangent
To digress from a topic.
- 08
fly off the handle
To become very angry or enraged; to throw a fit or go crazy.